İSTANBUL AYDIN ÜNİVERSİTESİ
SOSYAL BİLİMLERİ ENSTİTÜSÜ
İNGİLİZ DİLİ VE EDEBİYATI ANA BİLİM DALI
İNGİLİZ DİLİ VE EDEBİYATI BİLİM DALI
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
CLASSES: HOW COMMUNICATIVE ARE THEY?
YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ
Hazırlayan
Uğur DİLER
Tez Danışmanı
Prof.Dr.Birsen TÜTÜNİŞ
İSTANBUL AYDIN ÜNİVERSİTESİ
SOSYAL BİLİMLERİ ENSTİTÜSÜ
İNGİLİZ DİLİ VE EDEBİYATI ANA BİLİM DALI
İNGİLİZ DİLİ VE EDEBİYATI BİLİM DALI
THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
CLASSES: HOW COMMUNICATIVE ARE THEY?
YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ
Hazırlayan
Uğur DİLER
Tez Danışmanı
Prof.Dr. Birsen TÜTÜNİŞ
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... i
ABSTRACT ... iv
ÖZET ... v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS... vii
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ... 1
1.1 Background to the Study ... 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem ... 2
1.3 The purpose of the study ... 3
1.4 The hypothesis of the study ... 4
1.5 Research questions ... 4
1.6 Research Methods ... 4
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ... 6
2.1 The Act of Communication as the goal of the Communicative Approach: ... 6
2.2 Historical Background about the Communicative Approach ... 7
2.3 The Essence of the Communicative Approach in English Language Classes ... 13
2.5 The Formation of Communicative Competence in EFL Classes: .... 23
2.6 Some Examples of Communicative Competence Formation in English Language Class Students: ... 27
3.1 Introduction ... 41
3.2 Subjects of the study ... 41
3.3 Research Methods and Procedures ... 41
3.4 Tools of Research ... 41
3.4.1 Questionnaire ... 41
CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS ... 43
4.1 Questionnaire Analysis ... 43
4.2 Course Books ... 50
4.3 Course Book Analysis And Syllabus ... 52
4.4 Interpretation of the Results ... 54
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION... 56
5.2 Limitations of the Study ... 58
5.3 Implications of the Study ... 58
5.4 Further Research ... 58
REFERENCES ... 60
APPENDIX 1 QUESTIONNAIRE ... 64
ABSTRACT
For many years, communicative language teaching (CLT) has been one of the most effective methods in second language and foreign language teaching. Based on this idea, this study takes the ideas and practices of English teachers on the Communicative Language Teaching Approach into account and examines the effects of communicative practices of teachers during their educational activities. The objective of this study is to reveal how much a course book is written with the communicative approach.
In the present study the “Descriptive Approach” was used. The study data was obtained from Istanbul Aydin University, School of Foreign Languages, teachers who teach first grades. A questionnaire consisting of eight questions on how effective teachers can use communication-oriented language teaching methods and techniques during the teaching process was employed to obtain the data.
As a result of the questionnaire, together with the analysis of the data obtained, it is seen that although participants adopt a positive attitude towards communicative language instruction for teaching staff, they do not use this approach fully effectively.
It appears that the course books are generally written in the communicative approach, but the students are unable to transfer the classroom practices into real life. So it is seen that the book is considered as non-communicative and does not reflect real life. These findings support the contention that instructors are adopting the communicative approach in practice as it is given in the textbooks but the students are unable to communicate in real life since this knowledge is not put to use neither in class nor outside the class.
ÖZET
Uzun yıllardır dil öğretimi (CLT), ikinci dil öğretiminde ve yabancı dil öğretiminde en etkili dil ögretim metotlarından biri olmuştur. Bu olgudan yola çıkan bu çalışma ingilizce öğretmenlerinin İletişimsel Dİl Öğretimi Yaklaşımı ile ilgili düşünce ve uygulamalarını dikkate alan bir araştırmadır. Bu çalışma, Öğretmenlerin öğretim etkinlikleri sırasında nasıl iletişimsel uygulamalar yaptığının etkisini araştırmaktır.
Bununla birlikte çalışmanın diğer amacıda ders kitabının ne kadar iletişimsel yaklaşımla yazıldığını, ancak öğrencilerin bunu gerçek hayata yansıtamamasını ortaya koymaktadır.Bu çalışmada betimleyici yaklaşım kullanılmıştır. Çalışma verileri İSTANBUL AYDIN ÜNİVERSİTESİ, Yabancı Diller Yüksekokulu, 1.sınıfa ders veren öğretim görevlilerinden elde edildi. Bu verilerin elde edilmesinde öğretim elemanlarının sınıf içi öğretim süreçlerinde iletişim odaklı dil eğitim metod ve tekniklerini ne denli etkin kullanabildiklerini ortaya koyan ve toplam sekiz sorudan oluşan bir anket çalışması uygulanmıştır.
Yapılan anket çalışması sonucunda, elde edilen verilerin analiziyle, katılımcıların öğretim elemanlarının iletişimsel Dil Öğretimi konusunda olumlu düşünceler barındırmalarına ragmen çalışmaya konu olan yaklaşımı tamamen etkin bir şekilde kullanamadıkları görülmektedir. Ders kitaplarının ise genel olarak iletişimsel yaklaşımla yazıldığı ancak, öğrencilerin sınıfiçi öğretim etkinliklerinde çalıştıkları konuları gerçek hayata aktarmadıkları ve sonuç olarak kullanılan kitabın iletişimsel olmadığı ve gerçek hayatı yansıtmadığı görülmüştür.Bu bulgular, öğretmenlerin uygulamada ve ders kitaplarının ise yazında iletişimsel yaklaşımı kullandığını ancak öğrencilerin verilen eğitimlerle gerçek hayatta iletişim kuramadıklarını savunmaktadır.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am indebted to my thesis supervisor, Prof. Dr. Birsen TÜTÜNİŞ, who has supported me throughout my academic life.
I would like to thank all my colleagues for their helpful comments on the early draft of my thesis.
I would also like to thank to my family Muhsin DİLER and Gönül DİLER, for all their support and guidance throughout my life.
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
CLT Communicative Language Teaching CLC Communicative Language Classes
CA Communicative Approach
CC Communicative Competence
ELT English Language Teaching EFL English as a Foreign Language
FL Foreign Language
L1 The student‟s native language
L2 The language being learned or studied
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 The relationship between major methods, their characteristics and underlying theories of linguistics.
Table 2.2 Communicative functions and modeling of communicative competence.
Table 2.3 Communicative tasks and speech activities in monologic speech.
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1 The structure of communicative competence
Figure 4.1 I use communicatively-oriented exercises in lessons
Figure 4.2 I use different internet sources for formation of communicative competence
Figure 4.3 I use media texts for formation of communicative competence
Figure 4.4 I use different forms of lessons (video-lesson, interview-lesson, etc.) for formation of communicative competence
Figure 4.5 I use task-based activities for formation of communicative competence
Figure 4.6 I use English songs or games for formation of communicative competence
Figure 4.7 I use English movies for formation of communicative competence
Figure 4.8 I use pair/group work for formation of communicative competence
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
In the English language teaching world the Communicative Approach plays an important role as a result of learners‟ need for communication in a foreign language. Communicative Language Teaching is a very popular method, and it is used in foreign language classrooms to teach learners how to communicate effectively.
The Communicative Approach motivates learners for self-development and self-improvement. Accordingly, it seeks to interest learners in accumulating and expanding their knowledge and experience where they are expected to use their language in a natural way outside the class. For example: during a visit to an English speaking country, in receiving foreign guests etc. Communicative competence in English language usage leads to increased motivation in learners and encourages better communication. People speak to influence the behavior, thoughts and feelings of other people. It means that it is possible to teach communication only at the expense of student involvement in different activities by modeling real life situations of communication on the basis of systematization of a language material. The language materials in English language classes are generally designed within the principles of Communicative Language Teaching. Learners are supposed to independently choose language units for expression of their thoughts which can only be achieved later.
According to Worsnop (1994) and also Hart (1998), most English language teachers have recently enjoyed considerable independence in choice of teaching techniques and methods, creative judgment of the contents and implementation of program requirements. However, this freedom imposes an obligation for profound teacher knowledge of English language teaching theory, flexible possession of a methodical arsenal of methods, and forms and tutorials varied depending on the studied material. Also of consideration are features of learners and the textbooks used. Only when a teacher possesses all these requirements is it possible to speak of
his or her pedagogical maturity, and, therefore, of the creative approach to be chosen.
The Communicative Approach in English language teaching is represented as the most effective of all the existing approaches. The key points in this approach are stated by Freeman (2011) as:
to lay the foundation for the English language skills as a means of communication;
to enable learners to make use of the language with real content (authentic materials);
to accustom learners to consider a foreign language not as an object of study, but as a vehicle for classroom communication; to establish situations likely to promote communication (D.L.
Freeman, 2011:120-121)
Although most language teachers know a lot about the Communicative Approach, it is arguable that they apply it effectively in their classes.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Although Communicative Language Teaching is an accepted trend today, teachers cannot achieve success in the communicative approach in English language classes. In Turkey, primary and secondary school students are exposed to a total of 992 hours of English study, in which time they cannot achieve communication in the Target Language effectively.
In the sphere of professional activity, a lot of things depend on the abilities to realize oneself through communication: ie: to establish business relations; to come into contact and leave it; to report and explain thoughts and assumptions; to understand colleagues, heads and subordinates should possess a high level of communicative competence which allows free use of the language for implementation of current tasks, future advance and level of achievements.
English language teachers are not expected to teach native language-like communication in the foreign language but still they are expected to encourage learners to produce one of the foreign languages (English) properly according to the life-like situations created in class. However, it should be noted that the speaking process takes place successfully only with the personal interest of a learner in the teaching course. Traditionally, English language teaching focused on reading, understanding and translation of special texts, and also studying syntax problems of a scientific style which required a teacher centered approach to language teaching. On the other hand, the modern teaching approach puts the emphasis on the learner and it is more learner centered.
When analyzing course books, we see they generally use the same exercises, mostly in grammar items, reading and writing exercises. Speaking and listening exercises cover less space and time than the others. The course books do not use real communicative activities and thus the teacher and students cannot experience real communication in it. Hence, the course book used in ELT should also be designed in accordance with the CLT approach.
In communicative Language Teaching, learners have an opportunity for free expression of their thoughts and feelings during communication. However, in the course book learners are not encouraged to do so until later stages.
1.3 The purpose of the study
The first aim of this study is to see how language teachers apply the Communicative Approach to their classroom and whether language classes are really communicative or not.
The second aim of this study is to analyze various course books and see whether they lead to real communication in English language classes. The essence of the Communicative Approach implies that the process of teaching is communication.
Communicative teaching presents task-based activities. By fulfilling all the necessary tasks, communication among learners is created. In practice, however, there is no teaching on the basis of communicative tasks. To learn communication in a foreign language, it is necessary to create real life situations (the principle of authentic communication). It is necessary to train a student for participation in the process of foreign language communication created in a class.
1.4 The hypothesis of the study
Although CLT is the method accepted and applied in language classes all over the world, most language learners are not able to communicate effectively in the Target Language.
1.5 Research questions
In order to achieve the desired goal and to check the hypothesis, it is necessary to answer the following research questions:
1) Do teachers use the CLT method in their classes? If yes, do they create real communication?
2) Do communicative method materials (course books) lead to real communication in English language classes?
1.6 Research Methods
This is a descriptive study which focuses on English language teaching methods and materials. Therefore, 30 teachers were given a questionnaire and the course book was evaluated under the principles of Communicative Language Teaching.
This type of research describes what is produced and may help to uncover new facts and meaning.
The procedure of descriptive research is: Observation
Document Analysis
This involves collection of data that will provide an account or description of individuals, groups or situations. Instruments used to obtain data in this descriptive study.
In this study a questionnaire was used to obtain data for teachers‟ attitudes and beliefs related to CLT and Document Analysis on the course books used in class was done (Polit & Hungler, 1999: 3-6).
The questionnaire revealed the beliefs and attitudes of teachers on C.A in ELT. The document analysis gives a broad outline of the CLT approach in the course book the teachers used in their ELT classes.
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The Act of Communication as the goal of the Communicative Approach:
The main goal of teaching English as a foreign language is the formation of communicativeness. The Communicative Approach in language teaching is based on some communicative activities in the class to make students active participants, and to create interaction.
Communicativeness has the following components: These components have the following features:
1. Functionality; this feature is revealed in the selection of the functional meaningfulness of the speech material.
Functionality is defined as a technique of work on assimilation of the lexical and grammatical sides of speaking. Functionality assumes that both words and grammatical forms are acquired in an activity at once. On the basis of its performance: a student fulfils any speech task - confirms a thought, asks something, induces the interlocutor to action, and acquires the necessary words or grammatical forms in due course. An essentially important manifestation of functionality is selection and organization of the material on the basis of the situations and communication problems which interest students of each age group.
2. Situationality is variation of speech. Its value consists in the representation of the language phenomena for the speech situations which have been selected.
Communicativeness consists of the way practical speaking skills are used as a means of communication. In other words, practical usage of the language. (Coskun, 2011: 2)
In brief, it is possible to conclude that communicativeness is necessary in the course of teaching because communicativeness serves as
an adequate condition for communication. The question to ask therefore is whether English language classes foster such communicativeness.
2.2 Historical Background about the Communicative Approach The relationship between major methods, their characteristics and underlying theories of linguistics can be seen in the following table:
Table 2.1 The relationship between major methods, their characteristics and linguistic
theories
Methods/approaches Characteristics Linguistic Theories
Grammar - Translation
Written texts. Formal study of language
Translation L1/L2.
Formal sentences. Grammar from study of
different languages. Latin-based language. Reform movement / Direct method Spoken language. Associations between elements in L2, not translation. Phonetic descriptions, structural linguistics. Audio-Lingualism Spoken language. Conversation stimulus. Response associations between phrases. Structural linguistics, phonetic descriptions. Error analysis. Contrastive analysis. Cognitive-code learning
Both oral and written. Establishment of grammatical patterns leading to assembly of language. Symbolist. Generative grammar, UG. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
Emphasis on meaning, not form. Functions of language, not grammar.
Symbolist.
Socio-linguistic and notional / functional descriptions.
Randall, M., Memory, Psychology and Second Language Learning, John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 2007.
The above is a table illustrating the development of and connections between some of the major methods and the underlying linguistic theories used in second language teaching over the last 150 years. (Randall, 2007: 148).
Grammar Translation Method; the purpose in this method is to read and understand, appreciate the literature, and it helps students grow intellectually. The teacher acts as the authority of the classroom, translation is very important and students translate each sentence. Students study grammar deductively and rules are important. They memorize the rules and literary language is more important than spoken language.
The Direct Method; it is impossible to teach language preparing students with the Grammar Translation Method so the Direct Method became popular. It uses demonstration and visual aids. Translation is not allowed.
The Audio Lingual Method; an oral based approach. Language learning is seen as a process of habit formation. This method has been influenced by behavioral psychology and the dominant emphasis is placed on listening and speaking with oral skills receiving most of the attention. The natural order of skill is listening – speaking – reading – writing. There is a great deal of imitation – repetition. The teacher acts as a leader.
The origins of CLT are to be found in the mid-1960s, when British applied linguists began to question the theoretical assumptions of traditional approaches (Richards and Rodgers, 2002, p.153). From a methodological perspective, in contrast to traditional or grammar based approaches, CLT highlights communicative events rather than grammatical forms via learners‟ social interactions. In that sense, according to Segolawitz and Lightbown, “CLT methodologies emphasize genuine communication, that is, communication based on a real desire by the learner to understand and communicate meanings” (Segolawitz and Lightbown, 1999: 54).
Furthermore, Rodgers (2002) pointed out that “the most salient feature of the CLT classroom is its realistic use of the English language; both the activities employed and the materials used aim to be as authentic as possible” (Rodgers, 2002: 3).
Brown offers four characteristics as a definition of CLT:
Classroom goals are focused on all of the components of CC and not restricted to grammatical or linguistic competence.
1. Language techniques are designed to engage learners in the pragmatic, authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purposes. Organizational language forms are not the central focus but rather aspects of language that enable the learner to accomplish those purposes.
2. Fluency and accuracy are seen as complementary principles underlying communicative techniques. At times fluency may have to take on more importance than accuracy in order to keep learners meaningfully engaged in language use.
3. In the communicative classroom, students ultimately have to use the language, productively and receptively, in unrehearsed contexts. (Brown, 2007: 241)
There are five common characteristics of CLT;
1- An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language;
2- The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation;
3- The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on language but also on the learning process itself;
4- An enhancement of the learner‟s own personal experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning;
5- An attempt to link classroom language learning to language activation outside the classroom. (Nunan, 1991: 279)
CLT classrooms aim at the broad set of principles below:
1- Learners learn a language through using it to communicate.
2- Authentic and meaningful communication should be the goal of classroom activities.
4- Communication involves the integration of different language skills. 5- Learning is a process of creative construction and involves trial and
error. (Rodgers, 2002: 172)
The 1970‟s were marked by the emergence of the Communicative Approach; the main objective of this approach is to teach a person to communicate, to teach him to speak. According to this approach, it is possible to teach a person, in the so-called natural conditions - natural, first of all, from the point of view of common sense.
In addition, a new contingent of students - the pragmatists considering a foreign language, first of all, as a means of communication - was the main reason for the Communicative Approach emerging. They did not need a systematic study of language, which was offered by the traditional academic programs, but the opportunity to put the received knowledge into practice immediately. Thus, it appeared that people studying language for communication simply do not experience modern informal conversation and have no idea about speech etiquette. Generally, at real communication students of traditional approaches felt absolutely helpless. This situation also served as the main push to improve elements of teaching which were not aimed directly at speech development but which are communicative.
In fact, communicative language teaching is not an integral system technique. It represents a set of methods designed to teach effective communication in the language environment. The majority of them were used in lessons at earlier stages. One of its main methods is the imitation of real life situations which stimulate students to create active speaking. The subjects should be interesting for the students and connected with their everyday life. Unlike the classical methods, the basis of which includes repetition and retention, in the Communicative Approach the course of a lesson depends on the students - their answers, reactions, etc.
Certainly, the most time in lessons is occupied by informal conversation though reading and writing. Teachers, generally, do not speak, but listen and direct the lesson. The main question arising in the Communicative Approach, is whether it is necessary to correct mistakes in
the informal conversation of students or not. Some researchers believe that it is necessary to pay attention only to elementary mistakes, like “You is...” Others prefer not to interfere in general while a third group say that it is necessary to teach the correct language.
The essence of the Communicative Approach is the idea that a language serves for communication. Therefore, communicative competence, which includes language competence (skills of a language material for its use in the form of speech statements), social-linguistic communication (ability to use language units according to communication situations), discursive competence (ability to understand and achieve connectivity in perception and generation of separate statements within communicative and significant speech statements), so-called “strategic” competence (the level of awareness of the social-cultural context of a language functioning), and social competence (ability and readiness for communication with others) should be the main goal of any language study.
A theory of language as communication lies at the very core of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Hymes advanced the notion of “competence” and “performance” introduced by Chomsky in the 1960s and stated that the goal of language teaching was to develop “communicative competence”, which implied acquiring both an ability and knowledge to use language. In other words, communicative competence considers language as a tool used for communication. Not only does this competence aim to focus on the development of the four language skills, but it also depends on the correlation between the skills. Therefore, the Communicative Approach, which challenged the prevalent Audio-Lingual method, promoted the idea that social and cultural knowledge were necessary prerequisites for understanding and using linguistic forms (Basta, 2011: 125-143).
At present, the Communicative Approach in foreign language teaching is the most popular, most progressive and most effective method in the world. The Communicative Approach arose in Britain in the 1960-70s, when the English language had started gaining the status of the language of international communication. It became clear that the at that time traditional
techniques (Audio-Lingual, Grammar Translation) had ceased to satisfy the needs of the majority studying English as a foreign language. (FitzGerald & Schröder, 2007)
Actually, the old methods were not the reason for the change; the new contingent of students were “pragmatists” with an especially functional view of language as an instrument of communication were the reason for the CA evolving. They needed not a deep and systematic mastering of the language, which traditional academic programs were directed at, but the possibility of immediate practical application of acquired knowledge. It had become clear that people learning a language did not have communicative skills, had no concept about speech etiquette and felt helpless in the situation of real communication.
The essential point of all the research was the development a concept focusing attention on the formation and development of ability to communicate in a foreign language. The idea of threshold levels as specific purposes of mastering a foreign language was also developed.
In subsequent years a number of research projects were aimed at the formation of a system of communicative teaching. Special attention was given to developing an integrated communicative approach systematized on the basis of theoretical development and practical experience of teaching foreign languages in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and other West European countries. Emphasis was given to communicative orientation of studies and using teaching materials in the foreign language as a means to communication.
The materials used in teaching should lead to the formation of language competence (possession of a language material for its use in the form of speech statements), social-linguistic competence (ability to use language units according to communication situations), discursive competence (ability to understand and reach connectivity in perception and generation of separate statements within communicative and significant speech statements), so-called “strategic” competence (ability to compensate verbal and nonverbal shortcomings of the language), and social competence
(ability and readiness for communication with other people). However, it is questionable how far these aims are achieved.
2.3 The Essence of the Communicative Approach in English Language Classes
The teaching process within the Communicative Approach is based on the communication model. According to this model, teaching is as near as possible to a real communication. Therefore, the main line of this approach is communicativeness, including a number of characteristics which allow fulfillment of the transition from first social contacts to more complex situations. Communicativeness entails a speech orientation to teaching, stimulation of speech activity, providing individualization, accounting of speech functionality, creation of situations, observance of the principle of novelty and an imbalance in organization of the educational process. The parameters of communication are realized in communicative behavior of a teacher, active behavior of students, in the subjects of discussion, a communication situation, and the use of speech means.
The situations can be real, conditional, imagined or fantastic. The main thing is that all of them should correspond to the age and psychological features of the specific students. Students express their own judgment and attitude, agree or disagree with the opinion of the teacher or other students, using various speech clichés. Therefore, the discussion of a problem is a real piece of communication in the lesson. The situation can be represented by evidential means (situational pictures, a magnetic board) which reflect a certain place and action time, and may be made to be static or dynamic (to change components, to rearrange characters, to add new characters). (Swan, 1985: 78)
It is very important for the students to be involved in a situation, giving a personal character to it. It increases the efficiency of English language assimilation since students‟ emotions are connected along with their intellect. Dramatization, including improvisations and role-playing games, are arguably the most effective methods of teaching for this reason.
The classroom communication, the basis of which includes the problem discussed by the students along with the communicative function of the English language, shows the Communicative Approach has big prospects for the development of student intellectual opportunities. Being guided by communication and the vigorous activity of students, the key points are development of thinking and behavioral abilities. These are promoted by communicative teaching in English, involvement of the personality in activity during the educational process, and forming the ability to work constantly.
The Communicative Approach is focused on the subject and subject scheme of communication. The student is an active, creative subject of the educational activity operated by the teacher, who promotes the development of initiative in students and their ability to creatively search. A student should feel that the whole system of work is focused on his direct activity, experience, outlook, interests and feelings, which are considered in the communication organization of a lesson. Thus, lesson content is based on the discussion of actual vital problems, instead of ready subjects or texts. Moreover, this approach allows realization of the principle of individualization as mastery of communicative functions in the English language assumes specific features, interests of students, their abilities, bents and wishes have been taken into consideration.
Paramount significance is paid to understanding, transfer of the content and sense expression; the grammar serves as the base for achieving this purpose. Students should know which language should be used for the expression of thoughts in a direct situation in a lesson when they exchange opinions, experience and knowledge. Students should realize that grammatical forms are necessary for performance of the communicative task and that the ratio between a form and its use in speech is very important. (Swan, 1985: 79-86)
In the Communicative Approach the introduction of grammatical forms and work on them is carried out for the students to see how they are used for the transfer of sense. The task instructions contains a speech task. The fact
that a mechanical reproduction of exercises is absent is also very important: their place is taken by the game situations, work with the partner, mistake searching tasks and comparisons connecting not only memory, but also logic and the ability to think analytically and figuratively. This whole complex of methods helps to create the foreign-language environment in which students should “function”: to read, communicate, participate in role-playing games, to state their thoughts and to draw conclusions.
The Communicative Approach promotes a fast mastering of informal conversation skills by students. This is achieved at the expense of the assimilation of different types of monological speech, standard dialogues and forms of language modeling. The main unit of a lesson and the whole strategy of teaching in this technique is a speech act. When teaching communicativeness it is very important to consider the ratio of its major forms: monologue and dialogue (etiquette character, dialogue inquiry, dialogue motivation to action, dialogue exchange of opinions and information).
In teaching monological speech two methods are accepted: “The way from above” – the finished text is the initial unit of teaching; “The way from below” - the statement reflecting the elementary statement is the key element of teaching. (Freeman, 2011: 120-121)
“The way from above” is fulfilled through the various retellings of a source text, creative processing of material when the source text is completely remade, and so speech becomes motivated, personally painted, etc. The work on the text is preceded, as a rule, by lessons in pairs, answers to questions or filling in of tables.
“The way from below” assumes statement expansion occurs from the elementary unit offered upwards to the finished monologue. Much attention is paid to support; the more carefully they study changes the output, so an unprepared monologue will be more qualitative. The support has an individual character; prepared students make use of minimum support, the weaker ones use well-developed support. The dialogical unity or a couple of
remarks belonging to various interlocutors compose the unit of dialogue. Only in aggregate do they represent the finished statement.
Standard and free dialogues are used in the Communicative Approach. Standard dialogues serve standard situations; they include mini-dialogues on a household subject and expressions which are learned by heart. Free dialogues include interviews (dialogue – inquiry), conversation (dialogue - an exchange of opinions), and discussion (dialogue - motivation belong to action). Sometimes the reacting remark is developed, turning it into a monologue. Making a start from a dialogue sample, students reveal its features, reproduce it in their roles and create a dialogical communication on the basis of a similar, but new situation by changing separate components. Thus, support is given to students. “The way from below” is a performance of tasks for the restoration of remarks. The use of game moments is very effective during inquiry; sometimes a game allows turning a dialogue into a monologue. (Celce-Murcia, 1996: 10-11).
As a whole, the Communicative Approach allows using the reserve potential of well-known traditional and new methods of teaching rationally. The system character of a combination of various educational and methodical components opens ample opportunities for their differentiated use at certain grade levels.
The selection criteria for language units in English language teaching are quite simple as information on the modern life of contemporaries, their interests and hobbies is always interesting to students. Similar information promotes the formation of socio-cultural competence in students, a valuable relation to a foreign language as it pertains to the phenomenon of national and universal culture and civilization.
The Communicative Approach in teaching also means that there is a student as the subject of educational activity right at the center of teaching, and the system of teaching takes maximum account of the individual and psychology, age and student national identity as well as his interests. Speech activity in its types as listening, speaking, reading and writing is the object of teaching. The Communicative Approach focuses English language
classes on teaching communication, use of language for the purpose of an exchange of thoughts. For this purpose the main attention in a lesson is paid to the creation and maintenance of the need for communication and assimilation of professionally significant information in the course of communication.
The Communicative Approach realizes the main requirements of the modern educational process as: communicative behavior of a teacher in the lesson; the use of tasks recreating situations of real life communication and assuming the performance of educational actions within such situations; parallel assimilation of a grammatical form and its function in speech; accounting of specific features of students. The main goal of education within the Communicative Approach is formation and development of communicative competence, readiness and the ability to move from studying to speech communication. The newest interpretation of this approach is learning in cooperation. The essence of this approach is reduced to the creation of the conditions for vigorous joint activity of students in different educational situations.
2.4 The Principles of the Communicative Approach
The main principles of communicative Language Teaching are stated as follows:
1. Speech orientation is not only a goal but also a means;
2. The individualization of education as an account of all personal characteristics of a student: his abilities and skills (this principle is the main real means of creating motivation and activity);
3. Functionality (the choice of vocabulary from the existing spheres of communication);
4. Novelty provides flexibility of speech skills and the dynamic development of speech ability. (Munby, 1978: 99-111)
The modern communicative method represents a harmonious combination of many ways of teaching foreign languages, being probably at the top of an evolutionary pyramid of various educational techniques. At the present stage of teaching foreign languages the majority of teacher-linguists
consider the Communicative Approach to be the most effective and criticize the traditional techniques working by the principle “from grammar to lexicon and teaching exercises”. Artificially created exercises do not form the user of a language, and a person studying language by this technique will keep silent rather than say the incorrect phrase. Communicativeness, on the contrary, is urged “to loosen” the learner‟s tongue.
The Communicative Approach means the student is well-motivated: its purpose consists in the ability to interest students in learning the foreign language by accumulating and expanding their knowledge and experience. Students should be ready to use language for real communication out of lessons, for example, during a visit to the UK or the USA, in correspondence, in an exchange of audio and video materials with friends in English-speaking countries.
For many people, the central idea in „communicative‟ teaching is probably that of a „semantic syllabus‟. In a syllabus based course, it is meanings rather than structures which are given priority and which form the organizing principle or „skeleton‟ of the course book. Lessons deal with such matters as „greeting‟, „agreeing and disagreeing‟, „comparison‟, „warning‟, „point of time‟, and so on. So we do not (for example) give a lesson on the comparative forms of adjectives, but on a notion such as that of relative size or degree, which may be expressed not only by using comparative adjectives but also in many other ways. In the „bad old‟ courses, where grammar was tidy and meanings untidy, students might learn comparative adjectives in June and the „as ... as‟ structure the following February; they were never able to put together the various items they needed to express fully the notion in question. With a syllabus, items which belong together semantically are taught together, even if they are structurally quite diverse (Swan, 1985: 78).
The Communicative Approach in English language classes emphasizes the importance of developing a student‟s ability and desire to use the English language for effective communication. The Communicative Approach promotes fast mastering of the skills of informal conversation by
students. It is provided at the expense of assimilation of different types of monological speech, standard dialogues and forms of language modeling.
Proponents of the Communicative Approach have not dealt adequately with the role of pronunciation in language teaching, nor have they developed an agreed-upon set of strategies for teaching pronunciation communicatively (Celce-Murcia, 1996: 11).
The Communicative Approach develops all language skills - from oral and written language up to reading and listening. The grammar is mastered in the communication process: a student at first memorizes words, expressions, language formulas and only then starts understanding what they represent in a grammatical sense. The goal is to teach a student to speak a foreign language not only fluently, but also correctly.
These are the following principles of the Communicative Approach in English language teaching:
1. The principle of a speech orientated educational process, which is not so much in the practical aim of a speech, but in practical use of language as the way to this aim;
2. The principle of an individualization of teaching, which is understood as the account of all properties of a student as identity: his abilities to carry out speech and educational activity and mainly his personal properties;
3. The principle of functionality defines, first of all, material selection adequate to the communication process;
4. The principle of situation. The selection and organization of material on the basis of situations and communication problems, which interest students, is essentially important;
5. The principle of novelty. The process of communication is characterized by a continuous change of the subject of conversation, circumstances, conditions, tasks, etc (Celce-Murcia, 1996: 8-14).
The principle of novelty plays a very important role in the Communicative Approach. There are several aspects of novelty:
- novelty of conditions for the formation and development of speech skills and abilities: continuous changing of speech tasks, transformation of speech samples, variability of phrases, components, etc.;
- novelty of the contents (novelty of content has to be at such a level for the students to feel an urgent need to read the text or course book);
- Novelty of the other aspects of the process of teaching, namely: novelty of lesson form, their types, methods and types of work; novelty of organizational forms.
In Communicative Language Teaching for development of dialogical speech the following exercises are widely used: a teacher gives a diary page to each student, suggests choosing some days of the week and writing down what a student is going to do on these days and at what time, being guided by both realistic and impossible plans. Then, students working in pairs should invite each other to spend some evenings together. In view of their diary entries, they can accept or not accept invitations, but specify a reason in cases of refusal.
If a teacher is sure that the students have mastered the corresponding material, they can offer functional and semantic support (a discourse chain map), thus bringing in a novelty aspect. Aside from the above-mentioned forms of novelty, it is necessary to focus attention on the novelty of lesson forms, the typology of which should be different for initial, average and senior levels of teaching. These are lessons, conferences, and lessons-round tables, lessons-quizzes, lessons-meetings, etc. All these non-standard lessons include the elements of a role-playing game. Role-playing games take a special place in in foreign language teaching techniques. However, completely didactic opportunities of a role-playing game have not been defined as yet. Therefore, there is a wide field for creativity, and novelty is of course one of the principles of the Communicative Approach to the foreign language educational process. Rules and meanings of new words are explained by the teacher using lexicon familiar to the student, grammatical
structures and expressions, gestures and mimicry, drawings and other visual aids. Computers, CD, Internet, TV programs, newspapers, magazines, etc. can also be used. All this promotes student interest in the history, culture, and traditions of English language countries. In foreign language lessons a teacher creates the situations in which students communicate in pairs and groups with each other. It makes a lesson diverse. Working in groups, students show speech independence. They can help each other, successfully correcting statements of interlocutors. During classes a teacher assumes the function of communication organizer, leads, and pays attention to the original opinions of participants, and acts as an arbitrator in the discussion of controversial problems. (Swan, 1985: 78)
The difference of communicativeness consists in the fact that instead of the specially adjusted active lexicon and studied grammar of educational texts and dialogues, the imitation of situations from real life is used as the main method. Thus, instead of infinitely repeating standard phrases from the course books like “My name is John. I live in London. I am a student”, students start getting acquainted and discussing questions which they are really interested in. Subjects which interest students most of all in the native language are generally discussed; it gives the chance to concentrate on the development of communicative abilities and to use the English language spontaneously.
Unlike the Audio-Lingual and other methods, which are based on repetition and retention, the Communicative Approach uses exercises “with an open ending”: students do not know the final result of their activity in a class - everything depends on the reactions and answers. Every day new situations are used. Thus, student interest in their English language lessons is maintained. The greater part of lesson time is occupied with oral speech. Hence, teachers speak less and listen more, only directing the activity of students. A teacher sets an exercise and then goes into the background and acts as an observer and arbitrator.
The Communicative Approach consists in the assimilation of the teaching process to the communication process; it is based on the fact that
the process of teaching in the model of the process of communication is similar to a real process of communication. The Communicative Approach definitely distinguishes speech abilities of communication and exercises for their consecutive formation. All these facts give grounds to the claim that the Communicative Approach in education presents an activity type in English language teaching.
Therefore, it is possible to single out several main features of the Communicative Approach in English language classes:
1. Only the Communicative Approach used in English language classes contains the signs of activity type of education. The main feature of this is that, according to its purpose and essence, it is connected firstly with a separate type of speech activity; therefore, it is widely used in teaching reading, listening, translation, etc. 2. The practical speech orientation is not only the purpose, but also
the means whereby both are dialectically interdependent.
3. The use of the Communicative Approach in English language lessons removes a language barrier (Rodgers, 2002: 66).
Thus, the Communicative Approach answers the didactic principles of a scientific character, involving communication of theory with practice, consciousness, activity, presentation and availability. Student age and specific personal features are also considered. A successful situation is created and self-expression of personality becomes more important than demonstration of language knowledge; communication participants feel safe from criticism as mistakes, separate violations of language rules and random errors are considered as the educational norm.
2.5 The Formation of Communicative Competence in EFL Classes:
The formation of communicative competence in ELT students depends on the students‟ use of the language. In fact, an aspiration to communicative competence as the end result of teaching assumes not only possession of the corresponding foreign-language equipment (linguistic competence) but also assimilation of the enormous extra language information necessary for adequate communication and mutual understanding. Adequate communication and mutual understanding is unattainable without basic identity of the main data of the communicants about surrounding reality and without knowledge of specifics of the English-speaking country.
Communication is the basis of any teaching process. Language and speech are united together as a means of implementing different speech activities so people interact. Modern scientists define Communicative Language Teaching as the approach directed at the formation of semantic perception and understanding of foreign speech as well as mastering language material for the creation of speech statements. The Communicative Approach in foreign language teaching is, first of all, urging that the student be guided freely in the foreign-language environment, and also be able to react adequately to various speech situations. Real communication is always informative, unpredictable and unexpected. If the teacher is always informative, interesting and unexpected, then even before beginning the lesson students will be predisposed for a good lesson. But if the previous lesson is just the same as the next one, students will be bored with it before the lesson starts (Semistraitis, 2003, n/p).
The governmental educational standard for the secondary generation in the majority of countries aims at the formation and mastering of language knowledge, breadth of linguistic outlook and vocabulary and further mastering of the general speech culture.
The concept of “competence” is understood as the requirement for educational preparation, expressed by a set of interconnected knowledge,
abilities, skills and experience of student activities in relation to a certain circle of objects of the reality necessary for implementation of personally and socially significant productive activity.
The act of communication demands the existence of a sufficient level of communicative competence, which means the ability to carry out speech activity according to the purposes of a communication situation by means of the studied language. As a result of English language learning, students will appreciate the role and value of a foreign language in a modern person‟s life. Students will gain experience of using a foreign language as a means of cross-cultural communication and as a new tool of knowledge of the world and other cultures in order to master a foreign language. Communicative competence in a foreign language is one of the main objectives of teaching. Communicative Language Teaching of foreign languages has an activity character because speech communication is carried out by means of “speech activity” which, in its turn, involves solving problems in a productive human activity in conditions of “social interaction” of the communicating people. The participants of communication try to solve real and imagined problems of joint activity by means of a foreign language (Dolya, V.V, “Peculiarities of the Communicative Approach inTeachingEnglish”May,112013http://www.rusnauka.com/14_NPRT_2010/Philologia/66708. doc.htm).
These are the following components of communicative competence in foreign language teaching techniques:
- Linguistic competence assumes mastering the formal knowledge and the skills corresponding to them connected to such aspects of language as lexicon, phonetics and grammar;
- Sociolinguistic competence; the ability to carry out a choice of language forms, to use and transform them according to context and a given communication situation;
- Social & cultural competence; knowledge of cultural features of native speakers, their habits and traditions, standards of behavior and
etiquette, ability to understand and adequately use them in the course of communication;
-Discourse competence; ability to create complete, coherent and logical statements of different functional styles in oral and written language on the basis of understanding different types of texts during reading and listening; it assumes a choice of linguistic means depending on the type of statement;
-Social competence; readiness and desire to interact with others; self-confidence, and also ability to cope with the current situation. ( Canale&Swain, 1980: 7-9)
Each teacher tries to create an effective, organized, methodical system to form communicative competence in students. The application of information and communication technologies opens new horizons in their formation. Students get access to the richest information resources and the opportunity to work with multimedia interactive programs, presentations, games, internet materials, etc.
One of the main criteria for the formation of communicative competence of a person is self-reflection, i.e., when a person is capable of estimating their own position according to the position and interests of a partner. A student must have the ability to establish a connection with the interlocutor, to analyze his messages, and to react to them adequately by skillfully using both verbal and nonverbal means of communication. Researchers define communicative competence as a system of internal resources necessary for the creation of communicative influence e in a certain circle of interpersonal contact situations.
The Communicative Approach is based on the fact that, in successful mastering of the English language, students should seize not only language forms but also the idea of how to use them in real communication. The indicators of the created communicative competence include the use of speech and nonverbal means (mimicry and gestures). The orientation to pair or group interaction of students is also accurately traced. The advantage of
using the Communicative Approach in the educational process promotes an increase in students‟ motivation. It also promotes the development of informative activity, imagination, self-discipline and skills of joint activity, etc.
One of the basic tasks of a teacher during the formation of communicative competence is the organization of conditions under which students gain skills and abilities corresponding to a high level of communication. The abilities for communication include “Communicative Competence”, April, 11 2013 http://www.stud24.ru/foreign-language/comunicative-compitence/473448-1799791-page1.html:
1. Desire to come into a contact with people around;
2. Ability to organize communication, including the ability to listen to the interlocutor, show empathy, and solve conflict situations;
3. Knowledge of norms and rules which need to be followed in communication with people around.
Hence, communicative competence as a methodical concept, acting as the result of teaching, is a difficult and multicomponent phenomenon. The interconnected formation of all components of communicative competence provides:
1. Development of communicative abilities (along with the development of language knowledge and skills), namely:
2. Ability to read and understand the content of simple adapted texts of different genres and types;
3. Ability to carry out dialogical communication in standard situations within educational and labor, household and cultural spheres of communication.
4. Positive attitude to a foreign language, to the culture of the people, speaking their language, mutual understandings, and tolerance;
5. Understanding of the importance of the foreign language and the requirement to use it as a means of communication.
“Communicative Competence”, April, 11 2013 http://www.stud24.ru/foreign-language/comunicative-compitence/473448-1799791-page1.html
2.6 Some Examples of Communicative Competence Formation in English Language Class Students:
The ultimate purpose of teaching in the English language lies in the formation of communicative competence – the ability and readiness to carry out foreign-language interpersonal and cross-cultural communication with native speakers. The process of adaptation of a student depends, in many respects, on their communicative competence in school, in particular his emotional well-being inside a group of students. It refers to an adaptation which is subdivided into educational, social, and psychological norms. A student should get used not only to a new kind of activity (teaching), but also to people surrounding him.
Someone with Intercultural Communicative Competence is able to interact with people from another country and culture in a foreign language. They are able to negotiate a mode of communication and interaction which is satisfactory to themselves and the other and they are able to act as mediator between people of different cultural origins. Their knowledge of another culture is linked to their awareness of the specific meanings, values and connotations of the language (Byram, 1997: 71).
If a student easily finds a common language with the other students, he enjoys a greater psychological comfort and satisfaction with the situation. On the contrary, the inability to make contact with age-mates narrows the circle of friends, causes feelings of discomfort, loneliness in a class, and can provoke asocial forms of behavior. The main sense of a teacher‟s activity consists in creating a successful environment during a lesson and giving students a chance to endure the pleasure of achievement, realize their abilities, and believe in themselves.
The model of communicative competence formation in the English language class is a certain set and typical sequence of teaching actions of a teacher and educational actions of students in the course of mastering foreign-language skills and abilities. The existence of a lesson model does not mean that all lessons should be identical. Nevertheless, the English language lesson reflects a teaching model, based on this or that method
which was chosen by a teacher or the author of the course book. The main models of communicative competence formation have been studied and described in detail: PPP (presentation, practice, production), ESA (engage, study, activate), OHE (observe, hypothesis, experiment), and ARC (authentic, restricted, clarification), etc.
Thus, Presentation-Practice-Production represents a in hree-stage model of teaching in the English language. At the first stage (Presentation), the forms, values, and functions of language units in the English language are explained by the teacher. The second stage (Practice) has experimental character and assumes testing and using different methods of storing and learning, including both separate units and models (controlled practice and semi-controlled practice). This process is supervised by the teacher and has a strictly operated character. The third stage (Production) concerns speech in real communication and all variety of the entered phenomena. At this stage, the teacher‟s task is creating the conditions of and opportunities for free communication in the English language (free practice).
Communicative competence of students can be considered in the educational process not only as a condition of today‟s efficiency and well-being of a student, but also as a resource of efficiency and well-well-being for their future adult life. Modern students have the opportunity to study a foreign language and, at the same time, develop communicative competence. Informal conversation is characterized by the unpreparedness of the speech act and the message lacking an official character, which eases relations between communication partners.
Competence assumes the whole range of personal qualities of a student, including not only cognitive, operational and technological components but also motivational, ethical, social, and behavioral ones. Competence is always personally painted by the qualities of a specific person and assumes minimum experience of application by the identifying of competences. Competence is a set of knowledge, skills, and abilities formed in the course of teaching in the English language. Therefore, language is a cultural mirror, through which not only the world surrounding a student but
also his mentality, national character, way of life, traditions, and the world image are reflected.
Communicative competence belongs to a group of key competencies, which have a special importance in human life; therefore, close attention should be paid to its formation. Communicative competence influences educational success. Success is about confidence. It includes the feeling of correctness and fidelity in actions and understanding achievement of the expected result. “Communicative Competence”, April, 11 2013
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A successful situation;
- creates conditions for correct perception of new material and helps to fulfill tasks correctly;
- encourages students if something seems impossible or when they make mistakes;
- uses game situations, riddles, and creative tasks, helping form interest in subjects;
- Forms a positive “I-concept” in students. A positive “I-concept” promotes success, while a negative “I-concept” hinders success, worsens results, and promotes negative personality change.
In order for a student to form a positive “I concept” the following is necessary: To see the unique personality in everyone and to respect, understand, accept, and believe in it (“All children are talented”);
To create the identity of a successful situation, approval, support, and goodwill;
to understand the reasons for children‟s ignorance and wrong behavior, to eliminate them without causing damage and develop the “I-concept” of a student;
- To create a favorable atmosphere in class throughout the whole lesson. “Communicative Competence”, April, 11 2013 http://www.stud24.ru/foreign-language/comunicative-compitence/473448-1799791-page1.html
Supposedly, such psychological peculiarities as temperament, skills, life experience of students, their sphere of interests, outlook, emotional development, the status of the student in a team, the presence of communicative motivation, a positive emotional climate, and trusty relations between teacher and students are very important for implementing the Communicative Approach in English lessons.
According to Gettinger, Elliott, and Kratochwill (1992), effective teaching methods facilitate both individual expression and social development. Actions mentioned below illustrate this notion:
Following the children‟s lead, teachers comment on their activities, similar to the behavioral strategy of attending. When new materials or activities are introduced, they are presented as options, ones in which the children have a choice to participate. Cooperation and getting along with others are facilitated through guided reasoning and modeling. Generally, teachers fulfill a supportive, nurturing role, providing an emotionally safe environment, one in which children feel secure and competent enough to explore and learn through playing (Gettinger et al., 1992: 12-13).
However, prevailing practices show that the knowledge content imparted in lessons exposes the student mainly to the problems of teaching in the English language.
The concept of competence also includes grammar and assimilation rules, which provide for the ability to use language in the course of communication. Communicative competence is formed in all types of speech activity – listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The function of communicative competence of the types is as below:
Listening Speaking
Oral interaction
Reception Communicative competence Production
Reading Written interaction Writing
Figure 2.1 The structure of communicative competence
Byram, M., Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence, Multilingual Matters, 1997.
Communicative competence needs to be present in all four types of speech activity, providing perception and production of speech in the conditions of oral or written interaction of the communication participants.
Mastering communicative competence assumes mastering foreign-language communication in the unity of all its functions: information, regulatory, emotional, and etiquette. During the realization of these functions, certain communicative problems are solved and the basic communicative skills are formed (Table 2.2)
